Rule 9 — Scrimmage Kick
Section 1 — Kick From Scrimmage
Article 1 — Kick on or Behind Line of Scrimmage
Team A may attempt a punt, drop kick, or place kick from on or behind the line of scrimmage.
Penalty: For a kick beyond the line of scrimmage: Loss of down and five yards from the spot of the kick.
Article 2 — Kicking Team Players on Line During Kick
During a kick from scrimmage, only the end men (eligible receivers) on each side of the line at the time of the snap may advance more than one yard beyond the line before the ball is kicked.
Penalty: For ineligible player downfield before the ball is kicked: Loss of five yards.
Article 3 — Defensive Team Formation
Item 1. Punt Formation. When Team A presents a punt formation, a Team B player within one yard of the line of scrimmage must have his entire body outside the snapper's shoulder pads at the snap. Team B players cannot push teammates into the offensive formation.
Item 2. Field Goal or Try Kick Formation. Similar restrictions apply, plus no more than six Team B players may be on the line on either side of the snapper.
Penalty: For illegal formation by the defense: Loss of five yards.
Penalty: For pushing teammates into offensive formation: Loss of 15 yards.
Article 4 — Blocking During Kick
All players on the receiving team are prohibited from blocking below the waist during a scrimmage kick down. After the ball is kicked and goes beyond the line, the kicking team is subject to the blocking restrictions of the defense, and the receiving team is subject to the blocking restrictions of the offense.
Article 5 — Kicking Team Player Voluntarily Out of Bounds
It is a foul if a kicking team player goes out of bounds voluntarily to avoid a block during a scrimmage kick.
Penalty: For voluntarily going out of bounds: Loss of five yards.
Section 2 — Touching a Scrimmage Kick
Article 1 — Touching Behind the Line
Any touching of the ball behind the line of scrimmage by a kicking team player is legal.
Article 2 — First Touching Beyond the Line
"First touching" is when a player of the kicking team touches a scrimmage kick in the field of play beyond the line before it has been touched by a player of the receiving team beyond the line. If the ball is first touched by the kicking team, it remains in play. First touching is a violation, and the receivers shall have the option of taking possession at the spot of first touching or where the ball is dead.
Article 3 — Kicking Team Player Out of Bounds
A player of the kicking team who has gone out of bounds may not touch or recover a scrimmage kick beyond the line until it has been touched by a kicking team player who has not been out of bounds, or by a player of the receiving team.
Penalty: For illegal touching of a scrimmage kick: Loss of five yards. If the illegal touching is inside the receiver's five yard line, the receiving team may also elect to take a touchback.
Article 4 — Blocked Into Kick
There is no distinction between a player touching a ball or being touched by it, but a player is not considered to have touched the ball if he is blocked into it by an opponent.
Section 3 — Catch or Recovery of a Scrimmage Kick
Article 1 — Kickers Catch or Recover Behind Line of Scrimmage
When a scrimmage kick is caught or recovered by the kicking team behind the line of scrimmage, the kicking team may advance.
Article 2 — Kickers Catch or Recover Beyond Line of Scrimmage
When the kickers catch or recover a kick beyond the line, the ball is dead at the spot of recovery.
- Legal Catch or Recovery: If the receiving team touched the ball first, it is first-and-10 for the kickers, or a touchdown if in the end zone.
- Illegal Catch or Recovery: It is first-and-10 for the receivers at the spot of catch or recovery.
Article 3 — Receivers Catch or Recovery
If the receivers catch or recover any kick, they may advance.
Article 4 — Simultaneous Catch or Recovery
When a legal kick is simultaneously caught or recovered anywhere by two eligible opposing players, it is awarded to the receivers.
Section 4 — Ball Crosses Goal Line, Touches Goal Posts, Out of Bounds, Dead in Field of Play
Article 1 — Ball Crosses Receivers' Goal Line
If a scrimmage kick crosses the receivers' goal line from the impetus of the kick, and has not been touched by the receiving team beyond the line, it is dead immediately and the result is a touchback.
Article 2 — Kick Touches Receivers' Goal Posts
If a missed field goal, Try, or punt has touched the receivers' goal post, uprights, or crossbar, the ball is dead in the receivers' end zone.
Article 3 — Kick Touches Kickers' Goal Posts
If a scrimmage kick touches the kickers' goal post, it is a safety.
Article 4 — Ball Out of Bounds or Not Recovered in Field of Play
If a scrimmage kick goes out of bounds between the goal lines, it is the receivers' ball at the dead ball spot.
Section 5 — Spots of Enforcement
Article 1 — Spots of Enforcement
If there is a foul from the time of the snap until a legal scrimmage kick ends, enforcement is from the previous spot, with specified exceptions.